The essence of Mickey Atkinson can be summed up into these five simple words which have so much power. Former Guilford County Schools teacher & current owner of Sedgefield Florist [located on W Gate City Blvd] is a blessing to all who meet him. His everyday actions make him a hero to many.

When starting Sedgefield Florist Mickey was inspired by a fellow local florist that would donate flowers to Hospice. At the time he thought to himself “it would be nice to be able to give flowers away”. Initially they were doing 12-15 wedding per year & could not spare the expense at that time. It was not long before they were doing 120 weddings each year. Mickey realized that leftover flowers from a wedding were going to waste & not being enjoyed to their fullest potential. He started bring them back to the shop to rework them into smaller arrangements. These were distributed to numerous nursing homes & other elder folks in the community that needed a little extra sunshine. The flowers had a tremendous effect on people. One lady called saying that her mother had not been doing well for months & this was the first time she’d seen her mother smile in quite some time.

Growing up as the son of a Army veteran, Mickey has always a great respect for those who defend our freedom. He has become involved by donating wreaths to the Carolina Field of Honor for each Memorial Day & Veterans Day. In additional he offers a rose to anyone who is a veteran, will be visiting a veteran or visiting the grave of a veteran.

During Mickey’s time at Asheboro High School he started a tradition that has been going strong for more than 25 years. It can be described as a Disney ministry reaching over 1,900 students. Mickey views his role as not only as a teacher of grammar & writing, but also “to teach life, to explore & discuss life lessons… & to make some semblance of a difference in lives.” Students are nominated for their Good Samaritan attitude toward others & their ability to bless others with no thought of praise. What started as one bus load of students has grown to two. One several occasions when traveling with only one bus Mickey has filled every seat but one. The one next to him in the front of the bus. This seat is open to any and all of the students that want to come up one at a time to share with him, pray with him, ask him for advice, etc.

Here are some response he has received from fellow mouseketeers & their parents:

“Your faith is truly inspiring, & your kindness is beyond plausible so above all, thank you for being an amazing example to walk in the life of a Christian daily!”

“Thank you again for this unforgettable experience & for teaching me to love, forgive & be a blessing!”

It is a privilege to know Mickey not only as the person he is but the person he strives to be. He is always in search of a way to give of himself to others. Wouldn’t you agree that Mickey deserves the title “Hometown Hero March 2017”?